How do I cite one person’s testimony in a congressional hearing?

Your source for congressional testimony may be a transcript, audio recording, or video recording of all or part of a hearing. Style each source using… Read More

In a quotation from a play, how do I show that material has been omitted?

The answer depends on the nature of the quotation. If you quote dialogue from more than one speaker in a play, set the material as… Read More

When altering a quotation in a language other than English, should the alteration be in the language of the quotation?

Yes: use the language of the quotation, rather than the language of the surrounding prose, to make necessary alterations to quoted material. The following example… Read More

How do I alter a quotation using square brackets if the quotation already contains bracketed words?

If a quotation already contains bracketed text, avoid adding your own bracketed text, since multiple sets of brackets may be confusing for the reader. However,… Read More

How do I cite a commentator’s handwritten notes on a work?

Cite a commentator’s handwritten notes by citing the unique copy of the work where they appear. Often, that unique copy will be an object in… Read More

Should I reproduce a quotation in all caps in my essay?

In general, yes, you should reproduce quotations as they appear in the source. If a quotation appears in all caps in your source, most of… Read More

How do I indicate that material in a source I’m quoting has been redacted?

If a source you are quoting from includes names, words, or even entire passages that have been redacted—for legal reasons or to avoid offensive language,… Read More

How do I format a quotation of song lyrics?

Format a quotation of song lyrics the same way you would format a quotation of poetry. Read More

If I use a quotation that is already in quotation marks in my source, how many quotation marks should I use?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “When your quotation consists entirely of material enclosed by quotation marks in the source work, usually one pair of double… Read More

How do I style labels?

If a label is quotation from a source, enclose the label in quotation marks: The dictionary entry includes the label “French phrase.” Likewise, use quotation… Read More